Picker-roll adjustment



@ccii, R, 1935. J. E. PRICE Er AL PICKER ROLL ADJUSTMENT Filed May 28,1934 2 Sheets$heet l Fl G.

/ A TTORNEYS.

@cih H, 193. J. E. PRICE ET AL PICKER ROLL ADJUSTMENT Filed May 28, 19342 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 1, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE John E. Price andSamuel J. Shehan, Yukon, Okla.

Application May 28, 1934, Serial No. 727,943

4 Claims.

My invention relates to cotton ginning equipment and more particularlyto mechanism for ad justing the picker-roll of a gin stand with relationto the gin saws.

5 In ginning cotton, the cotton including the lint, the seed and bursor' other foreign materials are passed between a rotating cylinder madeof spaced disc saws and a rotating picker-roll which consists of acylinder having a multitude of protruding spikes. The cotton is usuallyhauled to the gin in wagons and each wagon load may vary in characterconsiderably from the others. Consequently, in order to efficiently ginthe different types of cotton having different amounts of foreignmaterials and different moisture content, it

is desirable to mount the picker-roll in such a manner that it may bemoved with relation to the 'saw cylinder.

So far as is known by these inventors, at the present time the onlymeans of adjusting the picker-roll consists of a nut upon each end ofits shaft. It is therefore necessary to loosen the nuts one at a time,move each end of the pickerroll shaft independently and reset the nuts.This operation requires so much time that before an adjustment has beenaccomplished the gin is operating on a different wagon load of cotton.

The prime object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism foradjusting the picker-roll instantaneously and in such a manner that bothof its ends remain spaced a similar distance from the saw cylinder atall times.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a device of this classwhich is new, novel, practical and of utility; which will automaticallytighten and loosen the driving chain when the picker-roll is moved;which also includes an independent chain tightening means that may beselectively adjusted; which permits adjustment of the picker-roll invarious positions within a large range of space, and will positivelyhold the roll at the desired position; which may be so quickly operatedthat a battery of several gin stands may all be adjusted identically bya single 45 operator in one or two minutes; which may be built upon agin stand as factory equipment or may be attached to used gin standswithout altering materially the usual equipment; which will be cheap tomanufacture and install; which will be durable; and, which will beeflicient in accomplishing all the purposes for which it is intended.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appearhereinbelow, my invention consists in the construction, novel features,and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, pointed outin the claims hereto appended, and illustrated in the accompanying two-60 sheet drawings, of which,

Figure l is afragmentary front elevational view of a gin stand showingthe device installed;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the right hand end of the gin stand,looking from the front,

and showing the device installed; 5

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the left hand end of thegin stand; and,

Fig. 4 is a detail of the automatic belt or chain tightening mechanism.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

It is understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size,shape, weight and other details of construction, within the scope of ourinvention may be resorted to without departing 15 from the spirit orbroad principles of our invention and Without sacrificing any of theadvantages thereof; and it is also understood that the drawings are tobe interpreted as being illustrative and not restrictive.

In the drawings:

Reference numeral l indicates the right hand end of a usual gin stand,looking from the front, and 2 indicates the left hand end. Referencenumeral 3 indicates a connecting member be- 25 tween the two ends I and2. Journaled between the two ends I and 2 is a shaft 4 to which isrigidly attached a usual cylinder 5 of gin saws 6 and the shaft 4 isadapted to be driven by a belt or other connection, not shown, whichengages a 30 pulley or sprocket! upon the right hand end of the shaft.Mounted upon a shaft 8 also journaled in the ends of the gin stand is ausual picker-roll 9 the periphery of which is provided with a multitudeof outwardly extending spikes or pins 35 [8. Also journaled between theends I and 2 is an agitator cylinder II the exterior of which isprovided when a plurality of blades [2 for agitating cotton and changingthe position of each tuft as it comes in contact with the saws 6. Theleft hand end of the shaft upon which the agitator is mounted extendsoutwardly for a considerable distance past the left hand face of the end2 of the gin stand and its outer end is equipped with a gear l3 by whichit is driven to rotation by any usual driving connection, not shown. Thebelt wheel, or gear I3 is provided with a sprocket I4, and an endlesschain l5 over the sprocket [4 acts as a means for driving the agitatorthroughthe medium of a second sprocket I6 50 carried by the shaft II.The above described mechanism is usual to most types of gin stands andis not a part of this invention.

Inusual gin stands the shaft 8 at each end is provided with threads anda nut which is sufli- 55 ciently large in outside dimension to span anotch l'i' provided in each end of the gin stand and the picker rollshaft may be adjusted toward and away from the saw cylinder 5 byloosening and. again tightening the nuts.

At a point substantially in vertical alinement with the shaft 8 and somelittle distance for- .ward of the shaft 8 a rod l8 extends between theends and 2 and projects slightly past each. To the right hand end of theshaft I8 is rigidly connected an actuating arm I9 which extends upwardlyand the upper end portion of which is provided with an in-turned edgewhich is adapted to engage notches carried by an arcuate strap ironmember 2| which is rigidly connected to the end of the gin stand. Thearm may therefore be disposed in various ones of the notches and willhold the shaft l8 at various desired radial positions. To the right handend of the shaft I8 is also rigidly attached a crank arm 22 the outerend of which is pivotally connected by a pin 23 to a link 24. Pivotallyconnected by a pin 25 to the end of the gin stand is an arm 26 intowhich the shaft 8 is journaled and the free end of the arm 26 ispivotally con- .5 nected by a pin 23 to the free end of the link 24.

1 It will readily be seen that movement of the arm iii will raise andlower the free end of the arm 26 and consequently the shaft 8 andpicker-roll 9 will be moved toward and away from the saw cylinder 5, andthe member 2| will act to hold the picker-roll in its desired positionof adjustment. The left hand end 2 of the gin stand is provided with acrank arm 28,.link 29 andarm 33 which are similar in form and office tothe members 22, 24 and 26 provided at the right hand end of the ginstand. Therefore, when the arm |9 is moved both ends of the shaft 8 andpickerroll 9 are moved likewise for the same distance.

It will be obvious that since the picker-roll is driven by the chain 5connected to the agitator that movement of the shaft 8 toward and awayfrom the agitator will cause the chain to be loosened and tightenedaccording to the amount of movement made. It is therefore imperativethat a means be provided for automatically maintaining the chain at adriving tautness at all times. For this purpose'we have provided a pairof plates 3| and 32 which are pivotally connected to the end 2 by apivot pin 33. The outermost plate 3| is provided with a rotatablymounted idler pulley 34 which is adapted to engage the chain l5 betweenthe agitator and the shaft 8. The uppermost end'of the arm 30 is adaptedto engage the lower face of the plate 32- and move it upwardly towardthe sprocket l4 when the rod I8 is rotated in such a manner as to movethe shaft 8 toward the agitator The lowermost face of the plate 32 isprovided with .a lug 35 which extends outwardly over the lowermost faceof the plate 3| and a set screw 36 is provided in the lug 35 so that itsuppermost end engages the lowermost face of the plate 3 I. Therefore,when the plate 32 is moved upwardly the plate 3| is similarly, moved andthe idler pulley 34 'is' caused to engage the chain. The tension uponthe chain may be regulated by adjustment of the set screw 36.

The arm I9 is so constructed that it may be sprung away from the endsufliciently to permit its movement into various ones of the notchescarried by the member 2|.

From the foregoing description it may be seen that the device permitsthe instantaneous and desired adjustment of the picker-roll from andtoward the saw cylinder 5; that both ends of the picker-roll are movedsimultaneously an 7 poses other than as detailed, and we thereforeconsider as our own all such modifications and adaptations and otheruses of the form of the device herein described as fairly fall withinthe scope of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an adjusting mechanism for picker-rolls, the combination with agin stand including saws, an agitator, a picker-roll and its shaft, anendless drive chain for driving the picker-roll, and a pair of hangerseach pivoted to one end of the gin stand the free end of each rotatablysupporting one end of the picker-roll shaft, of a rod.

extending through and journaled in the gin stand parallel to thepicker-roll shaft, an arm carried by each end of the rod for engagingthe hangers and swinging the picker-roll toward and away from the sawswhen the rod is rotated, a hand operated actuating arm for partiallyrotating the rod selectively to diiferent positions of adjustment, andmeans carried by the gin stand for holding the actuating arm set in adesired position. 7 V

2. Organization as described in claim 1, in which the holding meansincludes a notched element rigidly attached to the gin stand and adaptedto engage the actuating arm;

3. In an adjusting mechanism for picker-rolls, the combination with agin stand including saws, an agitator, a picker-roll and its shaft, anendless drive chain for driving the picker-roll, and a pair of hangerseach pivoted to one end of the gin stand the free end of each rotatablysupporting one end of the picker-roll shaft, of a rod extending throughand journaled in the gin stand parallel to the picker-roll shaft, an armcarried by each end of the rod for engaging the hangers and swinging thepicker-roll toward and away from the saws when the rod is rotated, ahand operated actuating arm for partially rotating the rod selectivelyto, different positions of adjustment, means carried by the 'gin standfor holding the actuating arm set in a desired position, and means forautomatically tightening and loosening the drive chain when thepicker-roll is moved toward and away from the saws.

4. Organization as described in claim 3, in which the last mentionedmeans includes an idler pulley pivotally mounted upon the gin stand andadapted to engage the chain between its carriers,

a lever associated with the idler and also pivoted

